The present invention relates generally to stretch releasing adhesive tapes for removably adhesively bonding an object to a surface. More particularly, the present invention relates to an article for use with a stretch releasing adhesive tape strip that includes a flexible cover portion that can be bent away from the tape strip non-adhesive pull tab to provide access to the pull tab during the removal process.
Stretch releasing adhesive tapes represent an emerging class of high performance pressure-sensitive adhesives combining strong holding power with clean removal and no surface damage. Such stretch releasing adhesive tapes are useful in a wide variety of assembling, joining, attaching, and mounting applications.
Commercial stretch releasing adhesive tapes include the product sold under the trade designation COMMAND by Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company, St. Paul, Minn., and the product sold under the trade designation POWER-STRIPS by Beiersdorf AG, Hamburg, Germany. These products are currently manufactured as strips with one end of the strip including a non-adhesive pull tab to facilitate stretching of the strip during the removal process.
A common use for stretch releasing adhesive tapes is for mounting a holding device, such as a hook, on a surface such as a wall, window, cabinet, or the like. Such holding devices are generally designed to either conceal the non-adhesive pull tab or leave it exposed. Holding devices that leave the pull tab exposed allow a user to directly grasp the pull tab to stretch remove the tape strip from the holding device and the surface. Leaving the pull tab exposed, however, is often considered aesthetically undesirable. Examples of holding devices that leave the non-adhesive pull tab exposed are described in the U.S. patent to Lxc3xchmann U.S. Pat. No. 5,409,189 and the U.S. patent to Kreckel U.S. Pat. No. 5,989,708.
To conceal the pull tab and improve the overall visual appearance of the fastening system, holding devices have been designed to completely overlay the pull tab and selectively allow access to the pull tab during the stretch removal process. Examples of holding devices that allow the non-adhesive pull tab to be selectively concealed are described in the U.S. patent to Hamerski et al. U.S. Pat. No. 5,507,464, in the U.S. patent to doCanto et al. U.S. Pat. No. 5,967,474, the U.S. patent to Schumann U.S. Pat. No. 6,082,686, and the U.S. patent to Schumann U.S. Pat. No. 6,131,864. Such devices, however, are expensive to produce and difficult to use.
It would therefore be desirable to provide an article for use with stretch releasing adhesive tape that conceals the non-adhesive pull tab, is inexpensive to produce, and is easy to use.
The present invention provides an article designed to conceal the non-adhesive pull tab of a stretch releasing adhesive tape strip. More specifically, the present invention provides an article to be used with a stretch releasing adhesive tape strip that has an adhesive portion and a non-adhesive pull tab, wherein the article includes a unitary attachment member having a base plate portion sized to overlay the entire stretch releasing adhesive tape strip.
The base plate portion includes a first portion that overlays the tape strip adhesive portion and a flexible cover portion that overlays the non-adhesive pull tab. In this manner, a user can manually urge and flex the cover portion away from the pull tab, thereby accessing the pull tab and allowing the user to stretch remove the tape strip from the unitary attachment member and the substrate. The flexible portion is sufficiently flexible to allow the user to manually urge the cover portion away from the pull tab, thereby to access the pull tab, without causing the adhesive portion of the tape strip to debond from the substrate or cause the adhesive strip to damage the substrate surface. That is, if the flex force required to flex the cover portion away from the pull tab is excessively high, the adhesive strip will tend to pull away from the substrate and possibly damage the substrate surface.
In one aspect of the invention, the base plate first portion includes generally planar first and second opposed major surfaces and the cover portion includes generally planar first and second opposed major surfaces, and the base plate first portion first major surface and the cover portion first major surface are coplanar, and the base plate first portion second major surface and the cover portion second major surface are coplanar.
In another aspect, the base plate first portion defines a first end portion of the base plate portion extending from adjacent the tape strip pull tab along the tape strip adhesive portion, and the cover portion defines a second end portion of the base plate portion extending from adjacent the tape strip adhesive portion along the tape strip pull tab. In one aspect of the invention, the base plate first portion and the cover portion are formed of the same material.
In another aspect, the base plate first portion is formed of a first material and the cover portion is formed of a second material, and the second material has a flexibility greater than the first material, whereby the cover portion is more flexible than the base plate first portion. The base plate first portion and the cover portion cohere along a connective interface. Alternatively, the base plate first portion and the cover portion may be adhesively bonded or friction fit using a tongue and groove type connection. The portion of the base plate first portion and the portion of the cover portion defining the connective interface do not move relative to each other when the cover portion is moved relative to the base plate first end portion. The connective interface is arranged adjacent the interface between the adhesive portion of the tape strip and the non-adhesive pull tab. In one embodiment, the connective interface defines the beginning of a flex area between the base plate first end portion and the cover portion, and the connective interface is located to allow a user to flex the cover portion away from the pull tab and thereby provide access to the pull tab.
The unitary attachment member includes opposite first and second major surfaces, the first surface being generally planar for adhesive attachment with the tape strip, and preferably includes a holding portion attached to the second major surface. The holding portion may comprise a projection or hook extending outwardly from the second major surface, a pair of opposed cooperating resiliently flexible arcuate jaws extending outwardly from the second major surface, a strap, a surface of mechanically interengaging elements such as hook and loop fasteners, clips, clamps, or other items depending on the intended end use application for the article.
In another embodiment, the base plate first portion defines a first end portion of the base plate portion extending from adjacent the tape strip pull tab along the tape strip adhesive portion, and the cover portion includes a first end portion that overlays at least a portion of and is fixed relative to the base plate first portion and further includes a second end portion that extends from the cover portion first end portion in overlaying relation with the tape strip pull tab. In another aspect, the base plate portion includes a tongue portion extending along the tape strip adhesive portion toward the pull tab, and the cover portion overlays and is coherent with the tongue portion and extends beyond the tongue portion in overlying relation with the pull tab.
In another embodiment, the base plate portion includes first and second opposed major surfaces, and the base plate portion includes a retaining portion extending from the second major surface. In a specific embodiment, the retaining portion is a projection extending outwardly from the base plate portion second major surface, and the cover portion is an elongate strap containing an opening for mating with the projection, thereby to removably connect the cover portion with the projection.
In another embodiment, the cover portion is an elongate strap having a terminal end with an interengaging portion, and the retaining portion is saddle-shaped for receiving the interengaging portion, thereby to maintain the interengaging portion in fixed relation with the base plate portion.
In another aspect, the present invention provides a unitary article for use with a stretch releasing adhesive tape strip having a double-sided adhesive portion and a non-adhesive pull tab, the unitary article comprising a base plate portion sized to overlay the tape strip adhesive portion and the tape strip pull tab, the base plate portion including a first portion overlaying the tape strip adhesive portion and a resiliently flexible cover portion overlaying the non-adhesive pull tab, whereby a user can manually urge the cover portion away from the pull tab to access the pull tab, thereby allowing the user to stretch remove the tape strip from the article and the substrate.
In a specific embodiment, the invention provides a stretch releasing adhesive tape article to be mounted on a substrate comprising a stretch releasing adhesive tape strip having an adhesive portion and a non-adhesive pull tab, and a unitary attachment member including a base plate portion sized to overlay the tape strip. The base plate portion includes a stiff first portion overlaying the tape strip adhesive portion, the stiff first portion defining a first end portion of the base plate portion extending from adjacent the tape strip pull tab along the tape strip adhesive portion, the stiff first portion having first and second opposed major surfaces and including a tongue portion adjacent the pull tab, a cover portion, the cover portion being formed of a material more flexible than the stiff first portion. The cover portion includes a first end portion overlaying and fixed relative to the base plate tongue portion, a second portion extending from the cover portion first end portion in overlaying relation with the tape strip pull tab, an elongate strap portion extending from the second portion, thereby allowing a user to manually urge the strap portion away from the pull tab to access the pull tab and stretch remove the tape strip from the unitary attachment member and the substrate, and an interengaging end portion extending from the strap portion. The base plate portion also includes a saddle shaped retaining portion extending outwardly from the stiff first portion second major surface for receiving the interengaging portion, thereby to maintain the interengaging portion in fixed relation with the base plate portion.